Jeanette's Grief
by Pokemon Ranger-Trainer
Summary: After a failed attempt at rescuing Theodore and Eleanor, Simon is hospitalized yet again, but this time, in a coma. How does Jeanette feel about this? How does Alvin? What happens when Brittany hurts Jeanette? Rated T for safety. CGI. Follow-up to Jeanette's Protector and Simon's Pain. A Jeanette and Simon fanfiction.
1. Still Not Awake

**I do not own the Chipmunks, Chipettes, Dave, Claire, Ian, Zoe, Selena Gomez, etc. I do own Cheyenne and Mark (Simon and Jeanette's best friends from their school newspaper), and almost any minor rodent character at the training site. This is a follow-up of Jeanette's Protector (the first) and Simon's Pain (the second). Enjoy! **

**Chapter 1: Still Not Awake**

Jeanette was sleeping on a hospital bed next to Simon. The previous day, he was beaten into a coma while protecting her from said fate. Dave and Claire let her and Alvin stay at the hospital with him. On that day, she had cried herself to sleep. She hoped to wake up and see Simon's iridescent blue green eyes staring at her in wonder, but alas, there was no such thing. His eyes were still closed, he was facing up, and in just about the exact same position he was in not even 24 hours earlier. She was understandably disappointed. She found Alvin curled up at the end of the bed, like a loyal dog at its master's feet.

"I'm so sorry, Simon," Jeanette whispered a sob. Miraculously, she still had tears left to shed, even after she cried so much on the day before.

Alvin's ears twitched, and his eyes slowly opened. He sat up and turned to greet Jeanette. "Morning, Jeanette."

"Oh," Jeanette wiped her tears away, "good morning."

"He's still…?" Alvin gestured to Simon and paused, positive that Jeanette got the rest. She bit her lip and nodded.

"Your brother has the most beautiful eyes, Alvin, and all I want is to see them open again," her voice cracked. "I miss his passionate, protective aura that he'd radiate when he hugged me. I miss the warmth in his smile. I miss the way we rubbed noses, and how he always tried to pick me up when I was down. I miss his gentle voice, when he's singing or talking. It's not fair! His comatose state robs me of that!"

Alvin reached out and placed a paw on her shoulder. For her sake, he managed a smile. "I know. If it helps, I miss the way we got on each other's nerves. It was kind of like our trademark, you know, to show that we're brothers. Sometimes, it's like he keeps me anchored to the ground, which we both know I need. I just…feel so alone, but do you remember what Zoe said to us yesterday. She told us to keep our heads held high."

"Thank you. Did you say that you feel alone?"

"It's like I'm the last Seville. Theodore is still in the Vipers' clutches, and Simon is…you know. It feels so weird. I've always had my brothers by my side, but now…," Alvin stopped speaking when he saw Jeanette frowning at him; her lavender eyes filled with condolence and sadness.

"Does anyone else know you feel this way?" she asked. Alvin shook his head. She suddenly saw him and herself in a whole new way. At least she still had Brittany. She realized how isolate he felt. He was so used to having his brothers in his life, but it's like they've been suddenly plucked from thin air.

"I know he'll wake up, so neither of us have to worry," Alvin smiled again. He was trying hard to stay positive, yet he made it look so easy.

"Morning, guys," Claire walked in and greeted.

"Hi, Claire," Alvin greeted casually.

"Good morning, Claire," Jeanette said in melancholy manner.

"Do you guys want to come to the cafeteria with me to get some breakfast?" Claire asked. Jeanette's eyes widened, as if that was the most terrifying question anyone could ask her. It was clear that she did not want to be apart from Simon, no matter what.

"I'll go with you," Alvin offered to go.

"Jean, do you want anything?"

"No thank you," she shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"Okay, but I'll bring something back for you just in case," Claire assured.

Claire and Alvin left, and Jeanette stared at Simon's motionless body. She loved him, and that partially founded her guilt. On a failed attempt to save Eleanor and Theodore from the Vipers, he had pushed her out of the way of some attacking enemy agents. She whispered to him, "It should've been me, Simon. You deserve so much better." Under normal circumstances, he would have argued. It's hard to argue when you're in a coma, however. She continued to whisper, "If you can hear me, I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to stay with you."

She had an idea. Hoping that he could hear her, she was going to read to him. However, only a few magazines were present in the room. Knowing that Simon normally didn't read magazines, she reached for her chipmunk sized Intensity II and sent Brittany a text: 'Are you coming here later?'

The response she received was: 'Yeah. Why?'

Jeanette sent: 'Can you please bring some books for me to read to Simon?'

The reply from Brittany was: 'Sure, sis.'

"Hey, we're back," Alvin called out as he and Claire reentered the room.

"We got you some vanilla yogurt with blueberries in it," Claire announced and held out a plastic cup filled with blueberries and white yogurt.

"Thank you," Jeanette thanked gratefully. "What did you get?"

"I got an egg sandwich and Alvin picked a breakfast burrito," Claire answered.

"We got you the yogurt because, when you're not around, Simon talks about you. He told me your favorite foods, drinks, movies, novels, and he told me that he thinks that you look _so_ cute when you sleep. The guy is obsessed with you!" Alvin exclaimed.

"And you remembered all of that?" Jeanette asked him.

"I thought that I would need the information someday, and I was right."

"Well, he may be obsessed with me, but I'm obsessed with him, so it's okay," Jeanette stated.

Dave and Brittany walked in. Dave was carrying a stack of books. Brittany greeted, "Hey, Jeanette."

"What's that?" Claire asked. Dave set the stack on the floor next to the bed.

"Simon's favorite books. Jeanette is always talking about how great he is. She told me his favorite foods, drinks, movies, novels, and that he has the _most beautiful _eyes," Brittany answered. "I believe her exact words were 'those blue green irises make even the Mona Lisa frown with envy'."

"He does have amazing eyes," Jeanette claimed sheepishly.

"'They outshine the moon and the stars'," Brittany quoted. 


	2. Last Day of School

**Now, I will answer a question from mrbucktheweasel6, whom I cannot PM. Cheyenne and Mark, my OC's, speak with chipmunk American accents, and Cheyenne's name is pronounced…well, its pronunciation is a combination of the words "shy" and "Anne". Anyways, enjoy! **

**Chapter 2: The Last Day of School**

Jeanette was reading the third book from the _Percy Jackson _series to Simon. While she read the book aloud, she noticed Alvin sitting on the floor by the bed, entertained by the story. Brittany's eyes were on her, too. She glanced at Simon's dormant vessel, "One moment, Simon." She looked at her sister and Alvin. "I didn't know you guys liked this book—or any book."

"It's just so funny!" Brittany said.

"I can see why Simon reads so much from Rick Riordan," Alvin stated.

"Maybe we should pick up a book for once," Brittany suggested teasingly.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea for you two. The more you read, the better you write, so maybe you could bring up your English grades," Jeanette recommended.

"Okay, fine, my English teacher said my essay was lacking a few things. What were they, wise one?" Alvin asked mockingly.

"Your essay was lacking dialogue, a plot, a setting, good grammar, a cover, proper punctuation, and the absence of hot fudge stains."

"My pen wasn't working!"

"So you used hot fudge?" Brittany asked; raising an eyebrow.

"Yep."

"Instead of a pencil?"

"We have those?" Alvin asked in surprise.

"Alvin, it's a miracle that you didn't cut your tail off when we went to buy new kitchen knives," Brittany told him.

"I have just never seen a pencil in that house," Alvin defended.

"Guys, Mark is here," Dave announced as Mark, a chipmunk and one of Simon and Jeanette's best friends from the school paper came in. He wore a simple T-shirt, had dusty gray eyes, and mildly messy fur.

"How is he?" Mark asked.

"The same," Jeanette informed him glumly. She knew he was talking about Simon. "Where's Cheyenne?"

"She said she couldn't face you. She thought you'd be mad at her, but I don't know why," Mark responded. Cheyenne was a female chipmunk, and another one of Simon and Jeanette's best friends from the school paper.

Jeanette, while thinking that was silly, knew why Cheyenne might think that. Several days earlier, she had foreseen Simon being hospitalized for the second time, but she hadn't foreseen why or how, nor had she told anyone but Jeanette. Both times that poor Simon ended up in the hospital were related to the Vipers. The Vipers were an organization of nothing good. The kidnapped Theodore and Eleanor.

Jeanette began to feel guilty. The first time Simon ended up in the hospital was because a Viper agent broke three of his ribs. The second (and current) time, two Viper agents (one human and one snake) had beaten him into a coma. Both times, he had saved her.

"Jeanette?" Brittany called out, sending her out of her trance.

Alvin looked at a nearby wall clock. "We'd better go soon. Visiting hours are almost over."

"Why can't we spend the night again?" Jeanette asked.

"Jean, do you know what tomorrow is?" Brittany asked. "The last day of school."

"B-b-but that means that Simon is going to miss the last day!" Jeanette realized. For the first time ever, she didn't want to go to school.

"That's going to keep you from having a good time?" Brittany asked. "All he's doing is hurting you."

Jeanette's eyes suddenly flared with anger. She began yelling, "That's not true! He'd never hurt me! Don't _ever _repeat that lie again!"

"I'm just saying you deserve better than a guy who—," Brittany tried to explain.

"He _is _better! You just don't like him because he isn't afraid to stand up to you when he needs to!" Jeanette chided. "He's the best! He cares about me! That's why he's in a coma and I'm not! You should be grateful to him!"

Alvin wasn't sure whose side he should've taken. Jeanette had made a point. A couple weeks earlier, before Theodore and Eleanor were taken away, Brittany had been very mean to Jeanette because she thought she was stealing her popularity. Simon had stood by Jeanette every step of the way.

"So, you don't think that he's hurting himself just to make you cry?" Brittany demanded.

"You're accusing him under false pretenses! He's not like that! If anything, _you _try to make me cry on purpose; not him!" Jeanette countered. "So stop talking trash about him!"

"Maybe I should go," Mark muttered.

"Yeah, this'll get ugly," Alvin muttered back. "Who do I support?"

"I'm going to say 'Simon', not only because he's my best friend and your brother, but because he's in a coma and can't defend himself."

"Then, Brittany will be peeved off, and I'll never hear the end of it!"

"Hear the end of what, Alvin?" Brittany demanded.

"Uh…nothing," Alvin lied. Brittany narrowed her eyes and turned back to Jeanette.

"I'm just looking out for you," Brittany insisted. Deep down, she knew it was a lie. It was as if the dark emotions she felt when she was being mean to Jeanette floated into the surface of her mind. Those feelings of hatred caused her to cut her sister in the hip with a scalpel. Those feelings of hatred told her that Simon was the enemy after he told her off for doing so.

"Well, don't. You're horrible at it," Jeanette said dryly.

Later, visiting hours were over, and Alvin, Brittany, Jeanette, Claire and Dave were all in the car and on their way home.

"How about that hockey game last night?" Alvin chuckled nervously.

"Since when are you into hockey?" Dave asked. "When did this kick start?"

"I'm just a sporty chipmunk," Alvin answered.

"Unlike Simon," Brittany sneered, mostly toward Jeanette.

"Leave the poor guy alone, especially since he's not even here right now," Jeanette shot back.

"All he ever does is read and do homework. He's like a machine. Machines don't love."

"Alvin, how can you sit back and let this snitch talk about your brother like that?" Jeanette asked Alvin.

"Al, how can you let this no-talent robot lover talk about your girlfriend like that?" Brittany asked him.

"Um…" Alvin had no idea what to do.

"Hey, play nice!" Dave scolded. "Alvin, a word of advice. Don't answer."

When they got home, Claire had a word with Dave. "Dave, Brittany was being so nasty. It's like that scalpel incident all over again."

"I hope it doesn't reach that point," Dave sighed.

Meanwhile, there was chaos in Jeanette's world. Brittany was shouting at her and cussing her. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU CALLED ME A SNITCH! HOW DARE YOU!"

"Well, you wouldn't stop insulting Simon! It wasn't fair to him!" Jeanette defended. Brittany slapped her in the face…hard. The purple clad Chipette began to cry.

"Aw, did I make the little baby cry?" Brittany asked mockingly. She was literally adding insult to injury. "I think the little baby needs a spanking." She hit her sister again and again, until Alvin finally stepped into the heat of the battle and pulled his girlfriend off of Jeanette.

"What has gotten into you?" he snapped.

"Are you choosing _her _over _me_?" Brittany demanded and gestured to Jeanette, who had curled herself up into the fetal position as tears streaked her face.

"Of course not! But I can't let you abuse your sister!"

"What? Are you afraid _Simon _might yell at you when he wakes up?"

"That's enough!" Claire broke up the fight as she and Dave walked in. "Alvin, Jeanette, Dave is going to take you two upstairs. Brittany, I want to have a word with you!"

Alvin climbed up the stairs and Dave followed him, carrying Jeanette in his hands.

As soon as she and Brittany were alone, Claire began to speak with Brittany. "What has gotten into you? You reconciled with your sister, and heaven knows how! All of a sudden, you're going to blow it! And what's worse is that you're dragging Alvin in the middle! I've never been more disappointed in anyone, not even after Alvin almost burned the house down! I don't know what your problem is, but you better get over it!"

Later on, everyone was in bed, sleeping soundly, except for Jeanette. She kept having nightmares where Brittany was a she-devil and had killed Simon. When morning came around, she refused to get out of bed.

"Jeanette, it's your last day of school. Please, get up!" Claire insisted.

"Why can't I see Simon instead?" Jeanette muttered.

"Jeanette…," Dave sighed.

Brittany climbed from her bunk to Jeanette's and smiled evilly. "It's time to get up, Jeanette." She shoved her out of the bed.

"Ouch! Why'd you do that?" Jeanette whimpered.

"You wouldn't get up and Dave and Claire haven't had their coffee yet."

A half hour later, Alvin and the two Chipettes were about to leave. Jeanette's outfit was different than usual. Instead of her high ponytail, she let her hair flow down the back of her head. She wore a lavender tank top and a jean skirt.

"Jeanette, I know you wanted to visit Simon, so how about, to make up for it, you take his yearbook with you and have your friends sign it?" Dave suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Jeanette smiled. "Thanks, Dave!" Dave gave her Simon's yearbook, as well as her own, and she hopped on the bus.

On the bus, Jeanette sat next to Cheyenne. Cheyenne looked at the yearbooks. "Why do you have two?"

"One of them is Simon's. Do you want to sign it?" Jeanette explained and opened it to the autograph section.

"Sure," Cheyenne signed her name under Jeanette's name. Jeanette had signed it the day before. "Hey, Jean, are you mad at me?"

"What? No. Why would I be mad?"

"It's just…I literally saw it coming, and I didn't do anything to stop it! You're grieving out of my mistake."

"Cheyenne, you told me about your vision. You were as honest as a best friend could be. You did what you could. I'd never be mad at you for something out of your control."

They hugged, and Jeanette winced in pain. Cheyenne gave her a funny look and asked, "What's wrong?" Jeanette told her about what had happened the previous night. Cheyenne became enraged and assured, "I'm going to kill her!"

"Don't," Jeanette tried to soothe and reassure. "It's not worth it."

"Are you sure? Because she's very oppressive, like past and current dictators in other countries, and I don't want you to be anymore hurt than you already are."

"Thanks. You're a good friend, Cheyenne."

Throughout the school day, Jeanette had her friends and Simon's friends sign his yearbook, and then her own. Teachers, staff members from the school newspaper, and even the principal signed Simon's yearbook. Alvin was the only football player who signed, but Jeanette thought that was okay because Simon had never cared much for the other players on Alvin's team. She gathered up her courage to do a solo of Katy Perry's song, Teenage Dream, in the lunch room, in honor of Simon.

By the end of the day, Simon's yearbook was flooded with signatures, while Jeanette's yearbook barely had half as many, at most. However, she didn't mind, as she told herself that doing what she did for Simon was her top priority.

"Wow, Jeanette, you really went out of your way to make sure people signed a yearbook that isn't even yours!" Claire exclaimed; impressed.

"That was very nice of you, Jeanette. I'm sure Simon will be very happy when he wakes up," Dave assured.

"I hope so. Let's see…I signed, Alvin signed, Cheyenne signed, Mark signed, the entire publications staff, the principal, all of our teachers, the principal again, the guidance counselors, the tech club, math league, and school mascot. Who else?" the Chipette went over it in her mind. "Oh, I think some of the people on the track team signed. And this is the signature of a janitor."

"A lot of people signed," Dave answered in approval. He admired Jeanette's caring feelings for Simon. They were so intense! Their relationship wasn't just any high school relationship. It truly was _love_! They shared an undying love that could not ever be broken.

"I know that Alvin was the only football player who signed. No one from the cheerleading squad signed."

"Really?" Claire asked. She knew that Brittany was on the cheerleading squad. Everyone knew. Brittany was even cheer captain, the leader of the cheerleaders (which sounds redundant if you think about it).

"Uh-huh," Jeanette nodded. She seemed somewhat sad.

"Anyways, Simon will be very grateful to know the trouble you went through to do this for him. People wrote some very nice things here," Dave said as he looked the book over. "Alvin even wrote 'Love you, bro.'"

"Aw, look at what Jeanette wrote," Claire pointed to something in the yearbook. "'Simon, you are the sweetest Chipmunk of all. I know how much you care about me, so I went around the school and got people to sign your yearbook. I want to prove that I care about you, too. I know you really wanted to be at school on the last day, so I saw to it that the next best thing happened. With all the love in the world, Jeanette'"

"That's not the end of it. She sang 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry in the cafeteria today," Alvin informed them. "Just for Si. It was so adorable!"

"I, um, well…" Jeanette stammered; obviously flustered.


	3. Visiting

**Chapter 3: Visiting**

Dave drove Jeanette and Alvin to the hospital to see Simon. Brittany stayed home, and Claire stayed with her. Jeanette brought Simon's yearbook with her.

"Are you going to tell him who signed?" Alvin asked her.

"Yep. I know he can hear me. I just know it!" Jeanette insisted. She had never seen him so concerned about others until Simon was in his coma.

"I'm sure he does hear us," Dave agreed as he drove.

"Dave, I just want to put something out there. It pains me as their brother to see Simon in a coma and Theo taken away. How do you feel about it?" Alvin asked.

"Alvin, how do you think I feel? You guys are my kids. It hurts to these things happen. When I was growing up, my parents always said that I wouldn't know how much they loved me until I had kids of my own. Of course, they never thought I'd be raising singing chipmunks, but you get the idea," Dave explained.

The rest of the car ride was in silence. When they reached Simon's hospital room, Jeanette smothered his unconscious body with hugs and his sleeping face with kisses. She acted as if he was long lost and finally found. She said, "I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner. I have something for you. I got your yearbook signed by our friends and Alvin."

"Why don't we leave them alone for a bit?" Alvin suggested to Dave in whisper. They left the room and waited in the hallway for a few minutes.

"I'm sure Brittany would've signed, but she's being mean to me again. She-she _hit _me, Simon. She hit me repeatedly. And you might've heard, but she insulted you, too. She cursed at me and yelled at me. She said you didn't love me. But I know you do! She pushed me out of my bed like I was a rag doll. She called me names. She's so abusive! I just don't know what to do!" Jeanette burst into tears.

"Jean, tell him about your performance at lunch," Alvin rasped at the doorway.

"Oh, yeah," she wiped away her tears. "In honor of you, I sang 'Teenage Dream'. I sang it because of the way you make me feel. You make me feel like I'm beautiful. You love me for who I am and you said so yourself. You pay attention to me, pick me up when I'm down, and protect me when I need it. You make me feel so special."

"She got a rocking applause at lunch," Alvin added and decided to come in.

"What do you mean? Brittany booed at me," Jeanette said regretfully.

"Everyone else cheered," Alvin pointed out. "Cheyenne clapped so hard she nearly broke her wrists!"

"Alvin, why is Brittany treating me like this?" Jeanette turned away from Simon and asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. He took out a folded piece of paper. "Si, I…made you a card. Today was my last day of art class, so I spent my free time making you this." He opened the card for Jeanette to see.

"'Hey, Simon. You saved Jeanette again! You really are a hero. I'm proud to call you my brother. Alvin'," Jeanette read aloud. "Alvin, that is so sweet of you."

"Eh. I try," Alvin shrugged again, as if it was no big deal. "Why aren't you wearing your hair up?"

"Simon told me he thought it looked cute when we slept at the spy training site and I had my hair tie out. I thought he would be awake and his face would light up," Jeanette explained. She glanced at Simon, "But as you can see…"

"Yeah. The poor guy."

Dave came in and checked Simon's chart. "It says here that he's estimated to wake up in…a month."

"A month? No, no, that's too long! I need him! He helped me handle Brittany the last time she treated me the way she is! It can't be a month!" Jeanette cried. Alvin placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know why she's acting like this," he said, "but she needs to know that I have hard feelings when she insults Simon."

"Oh, do you?" Brittany asked in the doorway.

"I brought her over to apologize," Claire explained.

"As if! I have nothing to be sorry for! _She _should be apologizing to _me_," Brittany pointed at her sister.

"W-w-what d-did I do?" Jeanette stammered.

"You stole my thunder, and it's your fault Eleanor's gone!"

"Brittany, what are you saying?" Alvin asked, but banished the thought when he looked into her eyes. He was, once again, torn between two sides.

"That was no one's fault, Brittany!" Dave scolded.

"All you do is cry!" Brittany said to Jeanette.

"That's not true!" Jeanette tried to keep a straight face.

"Cry baby," the pink clad Chipette coughed.

"Brittany, stop!" Claire ordered.

"You know what? You're grounded!" Dave punished.

Brittany didn't seem surprised. She smirked and kissed Alvin on the cheek. "Bye, Al."

Claire took her home. Jeanette looked at Alvin, who had his paws in his sweatshirt. His eyes darted around the room, but hers stayed on him. She asked, "You're not going to help, are you?"

Alvin had a look of guilt, but said nothing. Jeanette knew why. If he did defend her, Brittany might put him in a rough spot.

Jeanette's phone went off. It was a text from Cheyenne, saying: 'Want 2 at meet Fabio's, just us girls?'

Even though Dave was across the room, he acted as if he had read the text. "Go. It'll help."

Jeanette sent: 'Sure.'


	4. The Gang up

**Chapter 4: The Gang Up**

Recently in their town, a pizzeria called Fabio's had opened up. The staff for the _Eagle Tribune_, the school's newspaper, had a party there to celebrate an issue which had through-the-roof sales. Jeanette and Cheyenne sat at a table, unlike last time. Last time, they sat at a booth with Simon and Mark.

"What's this about?" Jeanette asked her friend.

"We're best friends. I think it will be healthy for you to get out of that hospital and away from your (expletive bleep. Sorry for any complications, etc) sister for at least an hour," Cheyenne responded. "You know, girl time, friend time."

"I remember when we became fast friends. After we were enrolled at that school with the Chipmunks, other chipmunks, including you and Mark, also enrolled."

"I had always admired the Chipettes. More than anything, I wanted to get to know you three. We bumped into each other in the publications office. A few periods later, I saw you were getting picked on by some other girls, and came over to help."

"That that was how we became best friends on our freshman year."

"I've told you before that you were my favorite Chipette, right?"

"Yeah," Jeanette chuckled and recalled. "I'm glad to have a friend like you. A friend who likes me for who I am. A friend I can count on."

Each of them ordered lemonade and shared a small pizza. Cheyenne spoke up while they were eating. "I don't want you to be offended by what I'm about to say, but I have to be frank here. Your sister is very vain."

"Vain?" Jeanette echoed.

"Think about it, Jean. She's willing to put you, her own flesh and blood, down because she's worried about her social status."

"So what do I do?"

"I'll tell you what you don't do. Don't take that crud from her. Say 'return to sender'."

"There's one problem, I live with the sender. How can I not take it?"

"Look, I just don't want you to be a victim of her vanity. If Brittany is going to be a living heck, ignore her and let her know you don't care."

"Thanks, Cheyenne. Did you have to say living heck, though?" Jeanette asked.

"Why not? That's what she is!"

"I know, but I had an awful nightmare last night. There were flames everywhere a-and the devil was there. The devil was B-Brittany. A-and she was at the foot of S-Simon's hospital bed, h-holding a knife covered in—!" Jeanette couldn't will herself to finish.

"Oh, Jeanette!" Cheyenne embraced her friend in a comforting fashion. She was worried that if Brittany was any meaner to Jeanette, the spectacle-wearing Chipette would develop some sort of eating disorder.

"This is terrible! My beloved boyfriend is in a coma, my one sister is abusive, and I don't even know where the other one is!" Jeanette sobbed. "And the worst part is that I'm burdening you with it.

"No, no, Jeanette, that's what friends are for. I promise I will help you through this. I'll do whatever it takes," Cheyenne promised.

"You don't need to hear about my problems!"

"But I want to! I want to help you!"

After Jeanette finally calmed down, the female chipmunks finished their meal and started to walk home. Trouble began to brew when Jeanette found herself cornered by some human girls, and they were keeping Cheyenne away from her. Jeanette recognized them. They were cheerleaders from Brittany's squad. One of them sneered, "There's the crybaby."

They approached her, and she stepped back into an alley, where more cheerleaders waited. Some of the cheerleaders were human, and others were chipmunks, including Brittany. She smirked and greeted, "Hello, dear sister. What brings you here?"

The cheerleaders encircled her. Two remained outside the circle to keep Cheyenne from interfering. Jeanette was too scared to speak.

"Cat got your tongue, or can the baby not talk yet?" Brittany asked.

"If she's a baby, you're a chicken! Hiding behind your little posse, you make me sick! Leave Jeanette alone!" Cheyenne yelled from outside the ring of cheerleaders. "She hasn't done anything to you!"

"Oh, but she has. And if anything, _I'm _sinking to _her _level. You see, this isn't too different from that article about me you put in the school paper. Jeanette's little paper pals did her fighting for her, so why can't I do the same, hmm? That article cost me the position of class president."

"There are two _huge _differences. One, she didn't ask us to put in that article. And two, you had it coming!"

"Girls, if you please," Brittany snapped her fingers and spoke to the cheerleaders. She then laughed, "It pays to be head cheerleader."

The two cheerleaders blocking Cheyenne pinned her down. The rest approached Jeanette. The next thing the poor Chipette knew, she was being kicked, punched, clawed at, and thrown to the ground.

"Please stop!" Jeanette begged, but Brittany's followers showed no mercy. After a few more beatings, she was crying in pain. The cheerleaders backed off. Jeanette was hugging her stomach and on her side in the fetal position. She had been bruised all over, received a cut lip, a bloody nose, and her tail was stuck in a funny position.

Cheyenne looked on with rage and bit the thumb of one of the cheerleaders holding her down. This allowed her to escape and rush to Jeanette's aid. She turned to Brittany and screamed, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU DID? HAVE YOU NO SHAME? SHE'S YOUR SISTER! YOU ARE A (expletive bleep. Sorry for any complications, etc)! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

Not being fazed by this, Brittany led her pack away. "C'mon, girls."

The Seville residence was only a block away. Cheyenne carried battered Jeanette the rest of the way there.

When Dave and Claire saw Jeanette in Cheyenne's arms, they immediately began to interrogate.

"What happened?" Dave asked.

"Is she okay?" Claire asked.

"Why didn't you call for help?"

"Who did this?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Seville, more than anything I wanted to call for help, but my phone died in the restaurant and yelling for it was…out of my power. I really hope she's okay. As for the first and last questions, why don't you ask Brittany?" Cheyenne tried to explain.

"Brittany? I thought she was at cheerleading," Dave said.

"She was supposed to have a mandatory meeting," Claire recalled. "She said that she needed to go to it no matter what."

"This is what they did afterwards," Cheyenne laid Jeanette down.

"'They'? As in, there was more than just Brittany?" Claire gasped.

"I think she decided to sic the entire squad on her, minus the two cheerleaders who were holding me down," Cheyenne stated with regret. Just as Brittany walked in, Cheyenne said, "Well, speak of the _devil_," putting as much emphasis on "devil" as possible.

"What happened to Jeanette?" Brittany asked, feigning innocence. Dave and Claire weren't fooled.

"Why don't you tell us, because we know that you know what happened," Dave tapped his foot and had a look of anger in his eyes.

"How was your 'mandatory meeting'?" Claire asked and put air quotes around "mandatory meeting".

"It really was mandatory, but we went window shopping afterwards," Brittany lied.

"Why don't you tell them the truth? Or are you afraid that will affect your image?" Cheyenne seethed.

"Burn!" Alvin shouted from upstairs.

"Cheyenne told us that you and your cheerleader friends that you jumped your sister and beat her up," Claire explained. "'Window shopping'. Do you take us for idiots?"

"Alvin, you're the new…not bad child! Or you are no longer the bad child," Dave called up the stairs. "Apparently, Brittany is twice as bold and bad."

"What?" Alvin scampered downstairs in disbelief. "But I nearly burned the house down!"

"And Brittany got some cheerleaders to practically mutilate poor Jeanette!" Claire countered.

"How could you ruin this for me?" Alvin got on his knees and clutched Brittany's shirt collar. "I even had a streak going!"

"What kind of streak?" Claire questioned. Dave went to the bathroom when Alvin grabbed Brittany's shirt collar, so he didn't hear anything about a streak.

"ALVIIIIIIN!" Dave hollered.

"A streak of how many bad things I could do before Dave yells my name," Alvin responded.

"You're still not the bad child! I may be stuck on the bowl, but I am still much more furious with Brittany than I am with you!" Dave yelled from the bathroom.

The phone rang. Claire answered it. "Hello? Hey, Anna."

It was Cheyenne's legal guardian, Anna Grays. She responded, "Hi, Claire. Is Cheyenne over there?"

"Yes, she is."

"Do you want me to come by and pick her up?"

"If it's okay with you, she can spend the night here if she wants."

"That would be alright."

"Cheyenne, you can spend the night if you want," Claire told the female chipmunk.

"Yay! Thank you!" Cheyenne thanked cheerily. She had planned on asking because she was still worried about Jeanette. Now, she didn't have to ask.

"She wants to," Claire told Anna.

"Thank you, Claire."

"Good night, Anna," Claire said farewell and hung up the phone. She looked towards Alvin and Brittany. "Okay, you two. Up to bed. Let's go."

"Good night, everyone," Alvin said as he scampered upstairs.

"Good night, crybaby," Brittany smiled sinisterly at injured Jeanette. She followed Alvin upstairs.

"What am I going to do with her?" Claire muttered. She cleaned off Jeanette's dried blood from her fur with a wet rag. She then massaged the small of the Chipette's back. Jeanette suddenly regained full mobility of her tail. "Let me go get some bandages."

"Claire?" Jeanette called weakly. "Can I please sleep on the couch?"

"Sure," Claire approved. A few minutes later, she patched up Jeanette. Then, she got some blankets for Jeanette and Cheyenne.

"Um, honey, can you please get a solvent or a chisel?" Dave asked, still stuck in the bathroom.

"I'll be right there!" Claire replied and went to look for either item in the kitchen.

"Cheyenne, would you like to come with me to see Simon?" Jeanette looked at her friend and asked.

"I'd love to see him. Now, you just get your rest. You've had a pretty rough day," Cheyenne answered. "If it helps, I think that nightmare you had was just that; a nightmare."

"It didn't feel real, but that doesn't make it less frightening," Jeanette said.

Soon, both girls went to sleep, and were not awakened by the struggling sounds from Dave, who freed himself at one in the morning, approximately three hours later.


	5. Wheel of Punishment?

**Chapter 5: Wheel of…Punishment?**

Morning came around. Cheyenne was awake, but Jeanette (bless her) was still sleeping. Brittany came downstairs and crudely said, "This is probably the first time I haven't seen the baby cry!"

"Don't you have someplace to shed skin?" Cheyenne asked her.

"Burn!" Alvin shouted from upstairs, which woke Jeanette up.

"Morning already?" she groggily asked.

"Yep. You're sister woke up extra early, just to pick on you," Cheyenne informed her.

"Yeah, like _you _know my intentions," Brittany sarcastically said.

"Believe me, the fact that I don't is a blessing, and the fact that I have a general idea is a curse," Cheyenne shot back.

"You know, Cheyenne, you'd make a good babysitter. Isn't that what you're doing now?"

"One of these days, Brittany, you'll be a hobo while Jeanette is successful with her dreams. You'll need a place to stay, and she'll say 'After the torture you put me through? Nuh-uh.'"

"Yeah, like a super famous pop star like me is going to be a hobo."

"You never know. Given the fact that I know a thing or two about journalism, the paparazzi is going to find out about how you've been treating Jeanette, Brittany. It's leaked onto the internet. Fans sympathize with Jeanette and hate you. Next thing you know, you'll be hit by tin cans as you walk down the street."

"What are you? Psychic?"

"I…plead the fifth. It's not like I have to answer to you. That is a personal question!"

"Good morning, everyone, and happy first day of summer break," Alvin greeted.

"Not if you don't put your beast on a leash," Cheyenne said.

"Does baby want her bottle?" Brittany taunted Jeanette.

"Leave me alone," Jeanette requested softly.

"No, I don't think I will."

"Please, please, please leave me alone," Jeanette begged.

"What if I don't? Are you going to cry?" Brittany sneered.

"Brittany, just go to heck now and make things easier for us all," Cheyenne sighed.

"Why do you defend her, Cheyenne? She's an annoying, timid little crybaby," Brittany argued. "It's none of your business, anyway."

"You're bullying my best friend, so yeah, it is my business."

"Morning, guys," Claire yawned and came downstairs. "Dave never came up last night. Is he still stuck on the toilet?" She checked the bathroom and found her husband passed out on the floor. "Nope. He's right here." She noticed Jeanette looking at her with pleading eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Brittany called Jeanette a crybaby, and Cheyenne asked Brittany if she had a place to shed skin," Alvin reported. He rushed downstairs with a huge grin on his face.

"Oh, Brittany, what are we going to do with you?" Claire groaned.

"If I may," Alvin intervened. He opened a closet door and pulled out a giant wooden wheel. "It's time for Wheel…of…Punishment!"

"Wheel of…Punishment?" Claire echoed.

"Yep. I actually made it in case you had to punish me and were short on ideas on how. It'll work for Brittany, too. Just take a spin!"

Brittany spun the giant wheel. The wheel slowed to a stop, and the pointer pointed to "Honey Bath". She gave the wheel a funny look. "What is a 'honey bath'?"

"You have to take a bath…in a tub of honey, and you can't wash off your fur for at least a whole day," Alvin told her.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope! I'll go get the honey. Meet you in the upstairs bathroom," Alvin said cheerily. He was clearly pleased that the wheel he made (however the heck he managed it) was being used. "Remember; rather, repeat, but do not rinse."

A half hour later, Dave woke up from his slumber in the downstairs bathroom, Cheyenne and Jeanette were ready to go visit Simon, and Alvin couldn't help but snicker when he saw Brittany drenched in sticky, sweet honey. He explained to Dave what the wheel was for.

"Alvin, that was very nice of you, but I think some of these punishments border child abuse," Dave said to him.

"I tend to overdo things," Alvin stated sheepishly.

"Really?" Brittany rhetorically asked out of anger. She had only stepped foot in the bathroom when he snuck up from behind and poured an entire jar of honey on top of her. "I think you ruined my clothes!"

Alvin continued to snicker. He stopped when his stomach growled. "Do you, uh…want me to, um…never mind. I'll just get some cheese balls." His stomach growled more. He yelled at it, "Okay, shut up and I'll feed you!"

"Okay, are you two ready?" Dave asked. He was going to drive Jeanette and Cheyenne to the hospital to see Simon.

"Yes, without a doubt," Jeanette answered.

Later, at the hospital, Simon was still not awake. Jeanette kissed his nose. She invited Cheyenne up onto the bed to say something. Cheyenne greeted, "Hey…Simon. Sorry I didn't come before. I'm going to be blunt and frank, you…didn't deserve this. Simon—and this is what everyone who is involved in making our school's newspaper thinks—you're a hero and you deserve better than this stupid coma. Um, Jeanette?"

Jeanette knew what Cheyenne was urging her to tell him. She wanted her to tell him about what happened last night. Her breath was shaky. "Simon…there's something I have to tell you. Brittany…she gathered her friends from the cheerleader squad, a-and they b-beat me up."

Simon, in his comatose state, didn't respond, but given that he nearly went ballistic on Brittany when she cut Jeanette with a scalpel, he probably would've trussed Brittany up a smidgeon on the tight side and smacked her silly until she apologized. Simon was usually very gentle, but he had been very protective of Jeanette.

"Girls, may I?" Dave asked if he could speak with Simon.

"S-s-sure, Dave," Jeanette obliged, fighting back her tears.

"Hey, Simon," Dave greeted his chipmunk son. Without getting a response, he continued, "Look, you're a really good kid. People really care about you, and those who don't care about you have absolutely no idea what they're missing out on. I have some good news. Selena and Zoe are going to try and save Theo and Ellie again. Alvin had conveniently made the Wheel of Punishment, so hopefully, by the time you wake up; you won't have to worry about Brittany picking on Jeanette."

Since Simon wasn't scheduled to wake up until next month, or so the doctors estimated based on Simon's injuries, they had plenty of time to straighten Brittany out. Anna, Cheyenne's guardian, picked her up from the hospital, and Dave gave Jeanette some privacy with Simon. She wept, "Oh, Simon, it is awful! She's torturing me! I'm just glad you don't see me right now, covered in cuts and bruises! I'm so scared and upset! Brittany calls me a crybaby, and the worst part is that she's right!"

"_No, she's not," _Simon's voice rang, but not from his lips.

"Hey," Selena greeted at the doorway; her red wand glowing. "I'm using a spell that will let you have a two-way talk with Simon, even while he's in a coma."

A transparent version of Simon stood before Jeanette, and he was smiling at her. _"You're not a crybaby. You're incredibly brave. You once told me not to sell myself short, but you shouldn't sell yourself short either. You're smart, beautiful, caring, sweet, kind, reliable, and you have certain warmth that I would do anything to feel again."_

"Then why did you save me and put yourself in this position?" Jeanette asked.

"_I just told you. I was worried that the lunging Vipers would kill you, and take away everything I truly lived for. I couldn't let that happen. I just couldn't, Jeanette! You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. Without you, I'd have no one to cuddle with, to share a laugh with, no one that truly understands me the way you do," _Simon said. Jeanette knew that he meant every word. _"I'm able to speak to you because of the bond we share."_

"The bond we share?" Jeanette repeated.

"The spell's efficiency is determined by the bond between the two or more people the spell is cast on, in this case, you and Simon," Selena told them.

"_Jeanette—how do I put this?—I love you, but I've always been afraid to say it. Then, after I broke those three ribs and you told me that you loved me, I gathered my courage and returned the vow," _Simon confessed. _"I'd hug you and kiss you and snuggle with you right now, but you'd fall right through me in this form, and my physical body is still in a coma…"_

"I love you, too, and when you finally wake up, I'd be more than happy to snuggle with you, but right now, just talking to you makes everything worthwhile," Jeanette said to him.

"Hey, sorry to—Simon?" Dave saw translucent Simon. "Are you…dead?"

"Ah, the father-son bond. That explains it," Selena stated.

"_No, Dave, I'm not dead. I never thought I'd say this, but this is magic at work,"_ Simon assured him.

"Isn't it great? Now, we can have an actual conversation with him!" Jeanette thought she might burst with joy.

"So, you believe in magic, Jeanette?" Selena asked.

"After this? Heck yes! Thank you so much, Selena!"

"That's good. Sometimes, that's all you need to be able to use it. You might be able to cast this spell one day."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Some people are born into wizardry. Others can use magic in accordance to a prophecy. Sometimes, people who accept and believe just start using it one day. Even all of the above have happened on the same person at the same time before."

"I have a headache," Dave moaned.

"It's a good thing we're in a hospital," Selena commented.

"_So, Brittany and her cheerleaders jumped you?" _Simon asked.

"Mm-hmm," Jeanette nodded sadly.

"_Oh, Jeanette, you look so abused. You're all bruised and cut up. I can't believe this! This is cold, even for Brittany!" _Simon said in disbelief and anger. _"You are so brave to have to put up with it."_

"No, I'm not. I break down into tears almost every time she talks to me," Jeanette declared in shame.

"_Yes, you are. You have every right to cry. You're grieving, and she's taking advantage of that."_

"She hates me…"

"_But you _are _loved, and you love in return. That's what makes you strong. That's what makes you beautiful. She has no idea how lucky she is to have a sister like you."_

"Well, I'm lucky to have a boyfriend like you."

"I have some good news," Selena smiled. She was wearing an earpiece from the agency she had introduced the Chipmunks and Chipettes to. "Theo and Ellie have been saved."


	6. Rescued

**Chapter 6: Rescued**

Meanwhile, in Arkansas, Theodore and Eleanor were in the back of a truck. A Viper agent guarded them in the back, making sure they wouldn't be crazy enough to escape. He spoke into a slot, saying to the driver, "I thought we were going to New Hampshire!"

"We are! I'm following the map!" the driver protested.

"'Following the map'? You idiot! It's upside down!"

"Hey, you try driving a truck with two fat, talking rats and a grown man with high maintenance! And you ate my chocolate bar!"

"I don't even _like_ chocolate!"

"How can you not like chocolate?"

"This is just like an episode of _Seinfeld _I was watching with my brothers," Theodore muttered to Eleanor. "Only without the holistic healer."

"What am I supposed to eat now?" the driver continued screaming.

"How about one of them?" the guard pointed at Theodore and Eleanor, and that made them shriek.

"No way! I'm watching my cholesterol!" the driver objected.

"And _I'm_ high maintenance?"

"Yeah, you—what the?" the driver was caught off guard as someone seemed to have been able to manage getting in the truck—while it was moving!

"Oh, look, a thermos," a voice said ecstatically.

"Hey, put that down, kid! AAH! HELP!" the driver screamed as he was beaten upside the head with his thermos.

"And I'm a teenager!" the voice declared. "Don't forget it!"

"If you have an (expletive bleep. Sorry for any complications, etc), I'll happily kick it!" another voice said and a blur passed the guard with blinding speed, and a smacking sound came from his body. He collapsed.

A silhouette teleported into the truck, gentle enclosed its hands around Theodore and Eleanor, and teleported out with them.

The Chipmunk and Chipette were safely outside the truck when they saw it go up in flames.

"I knew it! I don't want to be the 'I told you so' guy, but I did tell you so," a silhouette stated.

Three figures stood a short distance away. All of them were human, about age 14, one was a girl, and the other two were boys. The girl had curly hair. The boys were wearing glasses. One of the boys had green eyes and was holding a thermos that looked just like the one the truck driver was attacked with.

The boy not holding the thermos waved his hand and Theodore and Eleanor's bodies began to glow. Eleanor managed to ask, "Wait, who are you?" before they were teleported back to Hollywood. They knew they were in Hollywood again because they were in front of the Hollywood Sign. When the Chipettes were in search of the Chipmunks and Jett Records, they had dreamed of seeing the Hollywood Sign. Now, it gave Eleanor nightmares because she and Theodore were dragged underneath it by the Vipers.

"Come on, let's try and find home. Hollywood is a big place, especially for a chipmunk," Theodore said, releasing Eleanor from her trance.


	7. Theodore and Eleanor Are Home

**Chapter 7: Theodore and Eleanor Are Home**

A week and a half later, Selena Gomez was at the Seville house. Claire was asking, "I thought they were rescued. Where are they?"

"I don't know. Their rescuers said they sent Theodore and Eleanor back here to L.A. Let me tell you, they cease to amaze me. They are some of the agency's best agents, and they just proved it by doing what 80 rodents, Zoe, and I couldn't do. One of them is an expert with travel magic, so I'm guessing he _didn't _send them back, but one of the other two did," Selena explained.

"Oh, I just remembered. We have to spin the Wheel of Punishment. Brittany has been—well, let's just say that 'mean' is an understatement," Dave explained. "So, we're going to spin the wheel once a day until Simon wakes up. Brittany!"

"I'm coming!" the Chipette called. She lazily climbed down the stairs and spun the giant wooden wheel. While it was spinning, she asked, "Where did Alvin find a tree wide enough to make this stupid thing? It's huge!"

When the wheel stopped, Claire read what it landed on. "'No Punishment'?"

"ALVIN!" Dave called.

Alvin, knowing why he was being called, explained, "I ran out of ideas and still had space on the wheel!"

"Okay, we're spinning again," Dave said.

"But you said 'once a day'! Are you not a man of your word?" Brittany argued. Before the argument could continue, there was a knock at the door. Claire answered it and it was Eleanor and Theodore. Brittany exclaimed, "Eleanor!"

"Eleanor?" Jeanette ran downstairs. She was going to give her sister a hug, but stopped dead in her tracks when Brittany beat her to the returned Chipette.

"Hey, Jeanette! What are you waiting for? You still like group hugs, right?" Eleanor asked. Jeanette said nothing, and Eleanor noticed her cuts. "What happened to you?"

"I, um, well, I…," Jeanette murmured.

"She tripped and fell, just like babies do when they take their first steps," Brittany told Eleanor and flashed Jeanette a smug look.

"Okay…," Eleanor said slowly. Alvin ran downstairs and saw his brother.

"Theo!" he exclaimed. He didn't even care about everyone being in the room. He pulled Theodore into a hug.

"Hi, Alvin," Theodore returned the hug. "Where's Simon?"

"He's…in a…coma…"

"A coma? For how long?"

"About two more weeks, Theo."

Jeanette stayed silent. Feelings of sadness washed over her. She wondered how she would last those two weeks. Eleanor, still embracing Brittany, spoke up. "Jean? Jeanette? Are you okay?" A lump formed in Jeanette's throat. She couldn't will herself to acknowledge her sister's question, so she scurried upstairs. Eleanor looked up at Brittany. "Britt, what's going on?"

"…Nothing," Brittany answered. She let go of Eleanor.

"Alvin, why is your art project in the living room?" Theodore asked.

"Uh…," Alvin couldn't find the words to say. Brittany glared at him, but Theodore beamed at him with his big green eyes. He wasn't sure what to do.

"I'm going upstairs," Eleanor announced.

"Wait, Ellie. I want to ask you something," Claire requested.

"Yes?"

"You were rescued over a week ago, right?"

"Yes."

"Then, where were you?"

"We weren't sent right home. We landed on the Hollywood Sign, and we began looking for the house. To earn food and bus fare, we performed at venues and bus stops and even a gas station."

"I'm just glad you're back," Dave sighed with relief. Eleanor continued up the stairs.

"So, that's what happened! That explains a lot!" Selena chuckled.

Eleanor entered the Chipmunks' and Chipettes' room. She found Jeanette holding her knees against her chest and sobbing into her lap. "Jeanette?"

"G-g-go away! Please, I want to be alone!" Jeanette sobbed.

"It's Eleanor. What's wrong?" Eleanor asked.

"Ellie, I—"

"Don't say you can't tell me, Jeanette. Something _is_ wrong. You can tell me. We're sisters!" Eleanor assured.

Jeanette reluctantly told her everything. She told her what Brittany said about Simon, how she hit her, how she got the cheerleaders to jump her in an alley and beat her up, and how she always called her a crybaby. Jeanette cried, "I just don't know what to do!"

"I—you mean _our _sister—and your cuts—the big wheel—I can't believe this! When did she start again?" Eleanor could barely speak. One of her sisters was tormenting the other. She couldn't stand bullies, but this was an outrage for her.

"She s-s-started to be m-m-mean to S-Simon and I j-j-just after we failed to rescue y-you," Jeanette admitted. The whites of her eyes were red from crying.

"Oh, Jeanette," Eleanor embraced Jeanette, giving as much of a firm and protective hug as possible.

"I'm scared, Ellie!" Jeanette sobbed. "Poor Simon, even though he's in a coma, is always being called names by Brittany!"

"Don't cry, I'm here," Eleanor rubbed the purple clad Chipette's back.

Later, she and Theodore got washed up for dinner, and to them, it felt so good to be clean. Eleanor wanted to talk to Brittany at dinner.

"What's up, Eleanor? You look like something's on your mind," Brittany asked thoughtfully. Brittany sat next to Eleanor, Alvin sat across from them, and Theodore sat next to him. Jeanette sat at the end of the table, because where she normally sat was right next to Brittany.

"Brittany, you know what's up!" Eleanor claimed.

"No, I don't."

"Jeanette told me everything!"

"What?" Brittany gasped. She stared daggers at her spectacle wearing sister. "Why you little—!"

"Brittany, I can't believe you're doing this to her! You know how much I am against bullying! So why do you do it to _our sister_?" Eleanor demanded.

"I plead the fifth!" Brittany objected.

"That only works with yes-or-no questions!"

"It does? Oh, shoot!"

"Brittany!"

"That little crybaby is a popularity thief!" Brittany accused and pointed to Jeanette.

"That's enough!" Dave scolded.

"Popularity? You'd choose popularity over your own flesh and blood?" Eleanor gasped. "It's like I don't even know you anymore! You love Jeanette and you know it. How could you say that?"

"I don't need this," Brittany scoffed and jumped down from her seat.

"Where do you think you're going?" Claire asked.

"Wherever my actions won't be questioned," Brittany answered defiantly and walked away.

"Good luck with that," Alvin muttered. He made a snowman out of his mashed potatoes.

"Eleanor," Jeanette said softly, "thank you for standing up for me."


	8. Pocket Knife Misuse 101

**Chapter 8: Pocket Knife Misuse 101**

Once again, Jeanette slept on the couch. It was quarter to six in the morning. She was sleeping more soundly than she had in days. Even asleep, two things stuck well in her mind: Simon and the Vipers. What had happened to the Vipers after those teenage top agents saved her sister and Theodore?

Meanwhile, in the chipmunks' bedroom, everyone but Brittany was still asleep. Brittany had a plush Alvin that she had made in her hometown. Back then, she and her sisters revered the Chipmunks. They had handmade plush versions of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, and they were made perfectly for girls their size to hold (and being the stuffed toys were made by the Chipettes, those were tiny plush dolls).

Brittany stealthily leaped from her bunk to Alvin's, a trick she had learned at the training site. She saw that Alvin was sleeping with the pocket knife Dave gave him. Carefully, she slid the pocket knife out from his arms, holding the plush doll in her teeth. Then, she gently placed the plush Alvin into the real Alvin's paws before he had a chance to stir in his sleep.

The pink pajama clad Chipette crept downstairs. She saw the sleeping and unsuspecting Jeanette **(A/N: If you read Jeanette's Protector, you probably know what will happen next. If not, I encourage you to read it. It was my very first Chipmunk fiction, not to mention the base of this story and Simon's Pain.) **

She slowly pulled the blade out of its compartment. It gleamed in the light of dawn coming in through the window. Brittany smirked at her crafty plan. She figured that she would have the pocket knife returned before Alvin even woke up, mostly because he was a late sleeper. Normally, she was, too.

Jeanette was beginning to wake up when it happened. She was groggy, with her lavender eyes only a quarter open. Then, they were fully open and wide with pain as she screamed in agony. Her hip, the one Brittany cut with a scalpel several weeks prior, was bleeding once again. Her screaming woke everyone up.

"WHO TOOK MY POCKET KNIFE?" Alvin roared from upstairs. He appeared; his eyes were angry, he clenched the plush version of himself with fists of rage. He spotted the blood stained pocket knife in Brittany's hands, and he went absolutely ballistic. "YOU? YOU TOOK THE KNIFE DAVE GAVE ME?" He bolted downstairs, fueled on anger.

"What's going on down here?" Claire asked. She tried to raise her voice above Jeanette's cries and Alvin's yelling.

"Simon! I want Simon! Please, let me see Simon!" Jeanette bawled. Her hip stung as it bled. What stung even more was that history repeated itself. Once again, her hip was cut by Brittany.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! THAT KNIFE MEANS SO MUCH TO ME! IT'S A SYMBOL OF TRUST!" Alvin yelled at Brittany.

"Of trust?" Brittany echoed.

"DAVE GAVE IT TO ME TO SHOW HE TRUSTS ME!" Alvin shouted. He was ashamed to find the blade bloodstained. He snatched the pocket knife from her.

"S-Simon!" Jeanette choked on her own tears. She could not steady her voice

Eleanor and Theodore rushed downstairs. In her arms, Eleanor held a plush chipmunk with a blue sweatshirt. "Jeanette, Jeanette, it's not Simon, but it's the next best thing, see? It that stuffed Simon we made back in our home town," Eleanor held out the doll. She put it in her arms, and the bespectacled Chipette held it tightly.

"Thank y-you," Jeanette stammered through her sobs.

"Speaking of stuffed dolls," Alvin, surprisingly not yelling, bitterly said. He threw the plush version of himself at Brittany's face. "There!"

"You know what just crossed my mind?" Dave changed the subject.

"What?" Theodore asked. He was the only one who was really listening.

"Selena said that those top agents that rescued you were supposed to be stationed in New Jersey."

"I guess when you're at the top; you tend to be all over."

Claire bandaged up Jeanette's bleeding hip. She was quite pleased with her handy work. She turned to Brittany and pointed to Jeanette. "Do you see what you have done? Apologize right now! That was the last straw, missy! No smart phone, no dating, and you can forget about your next concert!"

"It's not like Alvin would go on a date with me anyways," Brittany grumbled. She handed over her smart phone, picked up her plush doll, and looked at Alvin (the real one), but his back was to her. He was trying to wipe Jeanette's blood off the blade of the knife.

"You'll see the real Simon soon enough," Eleanor assured Jeanette. Jeanette hung onto the stuffed Simon and buried her nose in its little blue sweatshirt. She hadn't done that in a while, but she used to do that whenever she was upset.

"Speaking of Simon, can we visit him now, please?" Theodore begged eagerly.

"Sure, Theo, just let me get dressed," Dave chuckled.

An hour later, they were at the hospital. Brittany refused to apologize to Jeanette and Simon, so she sat silently in a chair with a pouty lip and crossed arms. Selena Gomez was there, and she supervised Jeanette as she performed the spell that allowed her to converse with Simon while he was in his comatose state. The transparent Simon appeared in front of the solid, in-a-coma Simon.

The jaws of Alvin and Theodore dropped. "Simon?"

"_Hi, guys," _Simon greeted.

"Are you—?" Theodore began.

"_No, Theodore, I'm not a ghost. This is just a part of my subconscious," _Simon explained.

"This is unbelievable! Simon, it's really you!" Alvin explained.

"You know he won't talk back, right? He's in a coma," Brittany spoke up.

"What are you talking about? He's right there!" Theodore gestured to where the transparent Simon stood.

"He's kind of blurry," Claire squinted and commented.

"Really? I can see him perfectly," Dave replied.

"You all are crazy," Brittany spat.

Jeanette was about to protest, but she remembered what Selena said. The spell, in short, relies on bonds. Brittany barely knew and didn't really care about Simon. Simon's brothers and Dave absolutely loved him. Claire, apparently, was in the middle. She turned to Eleanor, who was twirling her pigtails. "Ellie?"

"…Sorry, Jeanette. I think I can faintly hear him, but…I just don't see him," Eleanor stated.

"Ha!" Brittany said snootily.

"Stuff it!" Alvin commanded. Brittany became quiet, not able to believe that Alvin spoke to her like that. He was really upset about the pocket knife. He turned to the transparent form of his brother. "Sorry you had to see that, Si. So, this see-through version you is a part of your mind?"

"_Yes, it is, Alvin. It is quite extraordinary, isn't it?" _Simon smiled.

"Yeah! Simon, can I have a hug?" Theodore asked. He approached him with widespread arms.

"_Theo, don't—!"_ Simon started to warn, but it was too late. His brother passed right through him. _"…do that."_

"What happened?" Theodore asked innocently.

"_This is a part of my mind, Theodore. You can't really touch it," _Simon said. He frowned when he saw how disappointed his brother was. _"I'll hug you when I wake up. I promise. Can I please have a word alone with Jeanette?"_

Everyone but Jeanette left. The bespectacled Chipette asked, "What do you need me for, Simon?"

"_I was just hoping you'd open up. Something's wrong. What is it?" _Simon implored. He noticed the stuffed doll of himself.

"W-w-well, S-Simon, she-she…she cut me again! In the exact same place as last time! Underneath this skirt is a bandage wrapped around my waist," Jeanette confessed. Because she couldn't hug transparent Simon and physical Simon wouldn't hug back (because of the coma), she just squeezed the stuffed Simon against her chest.

"_That's a cute doll. Did you make it?" _Simon asked. Jeanette nodded. He continued by saying, _"Well, no wonder it's so cute and incredibly accurate. It was made by such nimble and beautiful hands!"_

"Oh, Simon, you sure know how to flatter a girl," Jeanette swooned. She was still upset about what Brittany did. She knew Simon was doing everything he could to cheer her up. "You know, Simon, Selena said that, after watching you pick that sword from the training site as your primary weapon, you would make an excellent combat wizard."

"_Really?" _ Simon asked.

"Yeah, one of the top agents who rescued my sister and your brother chose a sword. All three of the agents that rescued them are great with combat magic."

The two continued the conversation with various topics. Each topic that came up, the sadness in Jeanette's voice remained unchanged. Simon knew what to do. His transparent form shimmered and then flowed back into him. Jeanette panicked. "Simon? Oh, no! Did I do something wrong? Simon?"

She felt a paw grasp her own. She turned and saw a pair of beautiful blue green irises staring up at her in wonder. Simon, in his physical form, smiled and greeted, "Hello, Jeanette."

"Oh, Simon!" Jeanette gasped in relief and joy. She wrapped her arms around him. Her rock, her love, her best friend; he was finally awake. She wept with joy. Never had the Chipette been so happy in her life to see his beautiful blue green eyes or to feel his warm, comforting embrace!

"Simon!" Alvin and Theodore called out as the scurried in, jumped onto the bed, and joined in on the hug.

Dave gasped in amazement when he saw his bespectacled chipmunk son awake from his coma two weeks ahead of time. Claire excitedly said, "This is incredible!"

"This is amazing! You woke up, Simon!" Selena exclaimed with the same cheery mood. "And way earlier than the doctors estimated you would. Kudos to you!"

The blue clad Chipmunk returned the group hug, but gave Jeanette a special kiss on the lips. They rubbed noses. Everyone was so happy then and there—except Brittany. She was actually feeling a little guilty about what she had said and done. She regretted sending the cheerleaders after her sister. She was deeply sorry for beating Jeanette. Brittany wanted to make things right more than anything! Her priorities were straightened, but did it occur all too late?

**Nice little surprise I put, huh? But it's far from over. Stay tuned and remember to review! **


	9. Back at the Training Site

**Chapter 9: Back at the Training Site**

The Chipmunks and Chipettes went to the warehouse training site, where Theodore and Eleanor had kept gasping in awe. It seemed emptier since Jeanette, Simon, Brittany, and Alvin had last been in there. 20 rodents including a soft-spoken squirrel named Hazel and a sharpshooting ferret called Sure Shot had died on the most previous mission held. The rest were badly injured, traumatized, or breathing through a tube. No one made it out entirely unharmed. Some of the guinea pigs made it out with some scratches and bruises. Those were the highly trained guinea pigs. They had to help the instructors at all times since the trainees were in bad condition.

"Hey, guys," Cheyenne greeted. She noticed Simon. "Well, you're an early riser! I thought you weren't supposed to wake up for two weeks."

"Jeanette needed me," Simon simply answered and put a hand on Jeanette's shoulder.

"Aw, that is so cute! Hey, Si, Jean, can I talk to you two…in private?" Cheyenne asked. Alvin and Brittany began to show Theodore and Eleanor around. Cheyenne spoke in a low voice. "Should I tell him?"

"Tell who what?" Simon asked.

"Mark that I'm psychic," Cheyenne explained.

"Well, if you want your relationship to work, you have to tell him," Jeanette advised.

"And what if he hates me? He'll hate me because I foresaw his best friend getting sent to the hospital and didn't tell him," Cheyenne insisted.

"Is Mark here?" Simon asked.

"He won't hate you," Jeanette insisted. "He's a really sweet guy—almost as sweet as this guy right here." She hugged Simon and they rubbed noses.

"What is with you two and rubbing noses?" Cheyenne asked, slightly annoyed.

"It's a sign of affection," Simon said.

"You and Mark never did it?" Jeanette asked.

"He barely reciprocates anymore. He knows I'm hiding something, i.e. that I'm psychic, he doesn't know, and he's taking it personally," Cheyenne explained.

When both bespectacled chipmunks remained silent, Cheyenne let out an exasperated sigh. Simon eventually asked, "Have you ever seen the movie _Sahara_?"

"Penelope Cruz was so good in that one!" Jeanette exclaimed.

"I know, and do you remember how Alvin and I were cheering when they pulled a Panama? That was awesome! It was a truly exhilarating movie!" Simon went on.

"I know! We should watch it again! It's too bad Theodore and Eleanor didn't want to watch. They got grossed out when the saw the eyes of the people that drank the toxic water," Jeanette said. "I was mildly freaked out by that myself."

"Guys!" Cheyenne said.

"We're giving you an idea, Cheyenne. Mark would love _Sahara_. The four of us could double-date at our house and watch it," Simon advised.

"Really? You think he'd like it that much?" Cheyenne asked.

"Yeah. Then, in the middle of the movie, you could tell him."

A man in gray robes went to the podium. His name was difficult to pronounce, but because he was one of the training site's martial arts teachers, everyone just called him Master. "Mice, chipmunks, guinea pigs, rodent agents alike. We must prepare for the Vipers. I fear the may attack. Snakes tend to be unpredictable. Always slithering, but you never know when they lunge until they do. Last mission had the highest number of casualties we've seen in years. All I ask is that you train hard."

There was some cheering, but it wasn't very enthusiastic. Some of the rodent agents were still recovering from shock and physical damage they had taken. Some were waiting for their weapons to be repaired.

Zoe had taken the podium next. "C'mon, guys! Where's your spirit. After being stuck on an island for ten years, and being the only person there for the majority of that time, I have to say that I, alone, can say 'hooray' louder than you just did. We can do this! We have something to fight for: a world free of vigorous evils such as that of the Vipers! Are we just going to sit back and let them devour us?"

Zoe's speech must've moved them, because they simultaneously responded "NO!"

"Are we going to fight back?" Zoe continued.

"YEAH!"

"And are we going to win?"

"YEEEAAAAAH!"

"Then go train your furry butts off!"

"HOORAY!"

Once everyone got into training, people were asking Simon how he was. He said he was doing alright. He and Jeanette had one thing in mind: magic training. They were told they had what it takes to be wizards. It was time to see if it was really true.

"Now, Simon, what you want to do first is enchant your sword so it works only for you and a trusted friend," Selena instructed. Before Simon could say he didn't know how, she said, "You do know. All you have to do is focus on your objective and become one with the sword."

Simon held his chipmunk sized sword out in front of him. It glowed in a vibrant blue light.

"Should I do the same with my staff?" Jeanette asked and pulled out her retractable staff.

"I recommend it," Selena nodded. Jeanette did with her staff what Simon did with his sword. The staff glowed a shade of purple.

By the end of the day, they could control water, shoot fire balls from their fingertips, and channel magic energy through their weapons. They also learn various forms of hand magic, magic performed without the use of a wand or weapon, etc.

Later, at the Seville residence, Jeanette, Simon, Cheyenne, and Mark were sitting on the couch watching _Sahara_. Jeanette was holding onto her Simon doll (the plush one, just so we're clear). Her head was on the real Simon's shoulder. In the movie, the characters Dirk and Al just pulled a Panama (if you've never seen the movie, they just blew up a boat to escape federal boats).

"That was amazing!" Mark commented.

"I know! Now we know what to do if we ever have to make a quick escape and we're on a boat!" Simon agreed.

"You guys would probably like _Indiana Jones_," Cheyenne said. "Mark, there's something I have to tell you."

"We haven't done anything, so you can't be p—," Mark began.

"No, you idiot, I'm psychic!" Cheyenne cut Mark off; not wanting to hear the rest of the sentence. Mark immediately began to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You're psychic! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" he snickered. "That's crazy!"

"Mark, it's true. She _is _psychic," Jeanette vouched. Simon nodded in agreement.

"How do you know?" Mark asked.

"Mark, I…I foresaw Simon getting put in the hospital again and told her. It wasn't my first vision either. Mark, I am so sorry that I've kept this from you!" Cheyenne apologized. Mark just said nothing. He shrugged it off, like he wasn't alarmed.

When he finally spoke, he asked, "So you made that stuffed Simon, Jeanette?"

"Yeah," Jeanette looked at the stuffed to and nodded. "Simon was always my favorite Chipmunk. I made this back in my hometown with my sisters."

"It's so cute!" Cheyenne admired the stuffed chipmunk.

"Thanks. I want to keep it close to me. I don't want anything to happen to it," Jeanette said thoughtfully.

What she meant was that she was worried Brittany might do something to it. What she didn't know was that Brittany was eavesdropping from around the corner. She wanted to know how Jeanette felt, and she got the memo. With Cheyenne there, there was no way Brittany could attempt to apologize. She slowly and silently made her way upstairs. Was it too late for her to mend her relationship with her sister?

Back with Simon, Mark, Jeanette, and Cheyenne, they were watching the movie. In the part they were watching, the character Eva just got herself out of a well and had shot someone. Simon said, "Between the gunfire, explosives, and medical references, this is a thriller of a movie."

"Of course you'd include medical references in that statement," Cheyenne rolled her eyes.

"When are they going to find the battle ship?" Mark asked.

"You'll see," Jeanette promised.

"How long is this movie?" Cheyenne asked.

"An hour and a half, but with all of the commercial breaks, it would be three hours on AMC," Jeanette answered.

"Why? That is ridiculous!" Mark asked.

"Who knows? Just be glad this is a DVD," Simon replied. "Although, they have it with story notes on AMC."

"I'm sure other networks do that, too," Jeanette added. She noticed something. "Cheyenne, you're sitting on my tail."

"Oh, sorry," Cheyenne scooted over.

"What are we going to do about the Vipers? They could attack at anytime," Mark wondered.

The telephone rang. Dave said, "I got it," and picked up the phone. "Yes. Uh-huh…uh-huh…what? No way...He fell off of where? And the guy is…okay. Thank you." Dave hung up the phone. He turned to Jeanette, Simon, Mark, and Cheyenne. "The guy in charge of the Vipers fell off of the roof of a tower a couple hundred meters high. The Vipers disbanded. You know how it happened?"

"How?" Simon asked.

"Those top agents, but there were six of them this time. Apparently, during a sword-slash-gun-slash-laser beam fight, the head Viper fell off of a tower and…well, he died."

"That's a bit ridiculous," Cheyenne tried not to laugh.

"I'm just glad we don't have to deal with them anymore. After all, they hurt Simon twice!" Jeanette said. If he was put in the hospital again, she didn't know what she would do.

"They still want you in the agency. We wouldn't want that training to be in vain, now would we?" Dave said.

"No, we wouldn't," Simon smiled.

Jeanette became lost in thought. She remembered Cheyenne telling her that Brittany was a bit vain when they ate at Fabio's.

"That means Zoe's speech was pointless, too," Cheyenne claimed.

"No, Zoe put reignited the extinguished flames of their spirits. Our fellow agents are no longer afraid," Jeanette said. "Zoe's not vain. But Cheyenne, I've taken in what you said."

"What'd I say?" Cheyenne asked.

"You told me that Brittany tended to be vain. I came to realize it when she cut me again," Jeanette stated.

"Jeanette, you don't have to worry about Brittany. I plan to use the Wheel of Punishment to see to that if she gives you anymore grief," Dave assured. "I'm going up to bed. Good night, guys."

The word "grief" rang in Jeanette's ears. She'd felt grief a lot for the past few weeks. After Eleanor and Theodore's returning safely and Simon waking up, the grief had been mostly lifted. It was a very emotional two days. The tranquility she felt from Simon's waking overcame the dread and agony she felt from Brittany cutting her with Alvin's pocket knife.

The four chipmunks continued to watch the movie. While watching the movie, Jeanette looked at Simon and said, "I am so blessed and lucky to have you, Simon. Where would I be without you?" They rubbed noses once again.

**Seems like a good ending, right? Wrong! It is not the end! Please be patient, as I will eventually answer your reviews and have Brittany apologize…one way or another. P.S. Got to love those top agents. They're just teenagers and they really know what to do with this kind of stuff! Anyways, remember to review! Thank you!**


	10. Britt's Apology

**Sorry for the long wait, everyone. I was away for a little longer than I anticipated. But I'm back, and the moment you've all been waiting for since Simon woke up is upon us. Thank you, and enjoy this installment. I was going to write in a concert, but why make you wait any longer? I think you'll be pleased with this chapter. **

**Chapter 10: Britt's Apology**

The next morning, the four chipmunks who were watching _Sahara_ were passed out on the couch. Jeanette had her hair tie out. She was sound asleep, with one hand on plush Simon and the other hand on real Simon. The house was quiet until the phone rang. Either Dave or Claire must've answered it from the phone in their bedroom, because after two rings, it stopped. The ringing woke everyone up.

Dave came downstairs, saying, "That was the training site. Before the Vipers are officially declared dead, they want you to check the remnants of their base under the Hollywood Sign."

"That makes sense," Simon groggily approved. Jeanette gave him a peck on the cheek. He held her close.

"Right now?" Cheyenne yawned the question.

"Well, at some point today," Dave answered.

Mark would normally input to that, but he was snoring away on the couch. Cheyenne looked a bit annoyed, like the snoring kept her up half the night. It probably did. Still, Simon and Jeanette slept well. Until they woke up, they didn't even notice Mark snoring. The Chipmunk and Chipette began to cuddle, both excited it was their first full day together in weeks. Along with the cuddling came the nose rubbing. Theodore and Eleanor came downstairs, greeted everyone else, and went into the kitchen. They were followed by Claire, who looked like she had also gotten little sleep.

"I heard some awful noise," Claire had claimed.

"You'll have to pardon Mark. He's a snorer," Cheyenne explained. She slapped her boyfriend across the face and woke him up.

"Huh?" Mark said upon waking up.

"Mark, you're snoring was so loud it kept Mrs. Seville up half the night, and she was sleeping on a different floor," Cheyenne informed him.

"Well, you're psychic and you didn't tell me! I've told you that I snore!"

"Guys, are you really going to argue about this? We're more mature than this!" Simon scolded.

"And there's nothing wrong with a high school student having a stuffed animal!" Jeanette said, hoping no one would bring up stuffed Simon in a manner of objecting the previous statement made by the real Simon.

"I wasn't going to say anything about that," Cheyenne defended.

Later, at the Hollywood Sign, Alvin, Brittany, Simon, and Jeanette met up with Ian and Zoe. Cheyenne and Mark were to secure the perimeter. The four chipmunks and two humans stood at the entrance of a cave where the Viper base once was. Zoe looked at Ian with concern. He didn't seem like the kind of man to risk danger. "Mr. Hawke, are you sure you want to go in there? The place could still be loaded with traps and—"

Ian cut her off. He swallowed and nervously chuckled, "The hawk beats the snake, right?" He looked into the cave, and then down to Alvin. "A-Alvin, you're bold and adventurous. You want to go in first? Man, I wish those top agents were here. They're all human, right?" Zoe nodded to him.

"Man up, Uncle Ian," he looked up at the human man. He wasn't the least bit surprised. He and Simon went in together. For light, Simon unsheathed his sword. Its metal blade glowed with a blue radiance. Jeanette went in next. A fireball danced above her paw. Brittany went in last. Zoe stayed out with Ian, who suddenly looked ill. There was gravel everywhere. Deeper into the cave, Jeanette had spontaneously gasped.

"What is it?" Simon asked; his glowing sword in hand. Jeanette, seemingly unable to speak, held her fireball closer to the wall, only to reveal the corpse of a squirrel wearing spy equipment. Simon's breath was shaky all of a sudden, but he made it clear what he was trying to utter. "H-H-Hazel…" He held Jeanette close to him and kissed her head. Neither of them got to know Hazel too well, and it was one of their deepest regrets. She was so sweet and soft spoken. Simon whispered, "You know Jeanette, she…kind of reminded me of you."

"I know," Jeanette nodded tearfully. Alvin took out a rodent sized flashlight. He pointed the light beam up that the ceiling and something glinted. It was a bullet. Brittany tripped over something. Actually, it was once someone. It was Sure-Shot, with a gun in his paw. The bullet that was wedged in the ceiling must have been his last.

"Poor guy…" Brittany said thoughtfully. "I'm glad the Vipers disbanded. Aren't you, Alvin?"

"…" Alvin said nothing to her. He was still mad at her for taking his pocket knife. Giving her nothing but a cold stare, he continued down the cavern. Simon and Jeanette broke their hug and followed him.

"You can't ignore me forever!" Brittany shouted to Alvin. Nothing. No response. Further into the cave, Brittany had taken out a flashlight and looked around. She spotted a loose rock right above Jeanette. It fell, but Brittany was swift. She shoved Jeanette out of the way, but the rock hit the pink clad Chipette's head. The sheer pain was so unbearable, she could not remain conscious.

"B-B-Brittany?" Jeanette gasped. The fireball in her hand had been extinguished when she was pushed out from under the falling rock. She cast a spell to light another. She was staring at her sister's auburn hair stained and dripping with her crimson blood. Jeanette was shocked, horrified, and above all, worried.

"Brittany!" Alvin shouted and ran to her side. Simon knelt down next to them. Alvin turned to him. "She needs help _fast_!"

"We have to take her back up to Uncle Ian and Zoe. Then, we can call an ambulance," Simon instructed. The two Chipmunks carried Brittany, while Jeanette was guiding them out.

"What happened?" Zoe asked at the sight of Brittany's bloody head and unconscious body. Ian, who felt queasy enough after picturing what kind of heinous traps could be in that cave, fainted when he saw the red liquid dripping all over Brittany's face. Her hair was now a clash of crimson and auburn.

"No time!" Alvin said and pulled out his chipmunk sized cellular device.

Later at the hospital, Alvin, Eleanor, Theodore, Jeanette, and Simon were standing in a row at Brittany's feet on a hospital bed. The top of Brittany's head was bandaged up tight, but her bloodstained auburn bangs peeked out and over one eye, just as they always did. Dave and Claire rushed in. Dave said, "Guys what h—oh, man!" And that was his reaction upon seeing Brittany.

Her eyes fluttered open. She looked at Jeanette and wrapped her arms around her, crying, "I'm so sorry, Jeanie! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I cut you! I'm sorry I got the cheerleaders to jump you! I'm sorry I called you a baby! You're the most mature girl I have ever met and I'm the baby! I'm so, so sorry! I'll never forgive myself, but if there's even the smallest chance you'll forgive, I'll take it! I swear I'll take it! I want to be your sister again! I miss you! I love you! I'm sorry!"

To her surprise, Jeanette returned the hug, and soothingly said, "I forgive you."

Brittany sniffled, "Thank you!" and looked at Simon. "Simon, I'm sorry I said those nasty things about you. I see that you love my sister more than anything in the world. And I want to thank you. Thank you for looking out for her…when I wasn't. Can…can you pass my thanks onto Cheyenne, too? Please?"

"Sure," Simon nodded and smiled. Jeanette broke the hug with Brittany.

"Alvin—," Brittany began, but Alvin put a finger on her lips.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Alvin said. A tear of relief rolled down his cheek.

Jeanette smiled. Everything was fixed. The Vipers were no more. Theodore and Eleanor were back. Simon was awake. She paid her respects to Sure-Shot and Hazel. And Brittany didn't hate her anymore. Life was as it should be, and if not, pretty darn close to it. The next thing she knew, her lips connected with Simon's. It was a beautiful moment. All in all, there was no longer a reason to grieve.

**Me: Thank you to all of you dedicated readers. I think you all deserve to know that this is the end of the trilogy. While I do not intend for the chapters to be so short, I do intend for them to be powerful. I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them. I'm going to be frank with you. When I first wrote Jeanette's Protect, it was out of impulse; a random and deranged idea I decided to try out. Little I knew that it would be so well read by all of you. I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you. You are the reason this trilogy is alive. While this is the end of the series, I will continue to write Chipmunk fan fictions. In fact, over my 10 days of fan fiction AWOL (I didn't exactly have internet access); I came up with a Chipmunk fan fiction idea. Thanks again! You guys and girls; men and women; yin and yang; are the best!**

**Alvin: Get off the stage! (He throws a glass)**

**Me: (I dodge) Whoa! Settle down! The readers deserve as much credit as the writer.**

**Alvin: How many other falling rocks did you intend on having? May I remind you that I am small enough to crawl down your throat and choke you?**

**Simon: I'll cut the transmission.**

**Jeanette: I'll get the straight jacket.**

**Me: You don't scare me. I scare myself! Wait, what?**

**Theodore: (holds up a sign, reads) The end. **


End file.
